1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a finger module of an air circuit breaker, and more particularly, a conductor base and a finger module of an air circuit breaker, in which structures of the conductor base and the finger module coupled to the conductor base can he improved to extend the lifespan thereof, and in which a contact area of the conductor base and the finger module can be expanded to reduce an electric resistance to thereby reduce the amount of heat generated.
2. Background Art
Hereinafter, a conductor base and a finger module of an air circuit breaker according to a prior art will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.
FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a structure of a conductor base according to the prior art, FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a structure of a finger module according to the prior art, FIGS. 3 to 5 are exploded plan views of components of the finger module according to the prior art, and FIG. 6 is a plan view showing a combined structure between the conductor base and the finger module.
First, referring to FIG. 1 the conductor base according to the prior art will be described. The conductor base includes: a coupling plate 10 having a number of coupling holes 11 formed on the peripheral portion thereof; and a plate-type connector 20 protruding to a predetermined height in a width direction of the coupling plate 10.
The coupling plate 10 is a rectangular plate-type body having a number of the coupling holes 11 formed on the peripheral portion thereof to fixedly couple the coupling plate 10 to a main body of the air circuit breaker by means of screw-coupling.
The connector 20 is formed in the same width as the coupling plate 10, and protrudes from the central portion of the coupling plate 10 to the predetermined height in the width direction thereof.
As shown in FIG. 4, in the conductor base, the coupling plate 10 is screw-coupled and fixed to the inside of the body of the air circuit breaker, a portion of a contactor 60 of the finger module, which will be described later, is coupled to the connector 20, and a breaker terminal 40, which will be described later, is selectively inserted to or withdrawn from the other portion of the contactor 60 of the finger module.
Referring to FIGS. 2 to 6, the finger module will be described. The finger module includes: a number of contactors 60 laminated in a width direction of the finger module; a supporter 70 having insertion openings 71 for supportively inserting a number of the laminated contactors 60 thereto; plate springs 80 for allowing both ends of the contactor to perform a vertical elastic movement relative to the longitudinal center thereof; and a separation-preventing member 90 for preventing the plate spring 80 from escaping from the contactor 60.
The contactor 60 is formed in a plate shape. A portion of the contactor 60 is in contact with the connector 20 of the conductor base and the other portion of the contactor 60 is in contact with the breaker terminal 40 so that the contactor 60 passes electricity through the connector 20 and the breaker terminal 40. In addition, the contactor 60 includes round-shaped coupling holes 61 formed at both end portions thereof for coupling the plural contactors 60 laminated in the width direction thereof.
The contactor 60 further includes an insertion groove 62 formed at the longitudinal center of the lower end thereof so as to be retained on the lower end of the insertion opening 71 of the supporter 70; and retaining protrusions 63 formed at both sides of the longitudinal upper end of the contactor 60 and having a predetermined height to allow both end portions of the plate spring 80 to be retained by the retaining protrusions.
The supporter 70 is a rectangular plate-type body having a number of the insertion openings 71 for fixedly inserting the contactor 60, the plate spring 80 and the separation-preventing member 90 thereto, and includes a number of screw holes 72 arranged at the longitudinal center thereof.
The plate spring 80 is fit to the upper end of the laminated contactors 60, and includes a bent retaining hook 81 engaging with the retaining protrusion 63 of the contactor 60.
The separation-preventing member 90 has the same form as that of the plate spring 80, is additionally mounted on the outer surface of the plate spring 80, and includes a bent separation-preventing hook 91 formed at a side end portion thereof and having an angle larger than that of the retaining hook 81 of the plate spring 80.
As shown in FIG. 4, in the finger module having the above configuration, the connector 20 of the conductor base is coupled to a side of the contactor 60 of the finger module, and the breaker terminal 40 is selectively inserted to or withdrawn from the other side of the contactor 60 of the finger module.
However, in case of the conductor base and the finger module according to the prior art described above, since the connector 20 of the conductor base, which is in contact with the contactor 60 of the finger module, is formed flat and the contactor 60 of the finger module, which is in contact with the connector 20 of the conductor base, is also formed flat, thus an electric resistance rises due to a small contact area. Therefore, the conductor base and the finger module according to the prior art have a problem in that the amount of heat generated is increased when electricity is applied to the air circuit breaker.
In addition, since the area where the contractor 60 of the finger module is in contact with the connector 20 of the conductor base is flat, the other side of the finger module relative to the contact face is not easily rotated vertically, and so, the breaker terminal (not shown) is not easily inserted to and withdrawn from he other side of the finger module to thereby reduce the lifespan of the product.